246 DT13.1 Projet d’établissement d’un lieu d’enfouissement technique à Danford Lake Alleyn-et-Cawood 6212-03-112 Morning session, June 16, 2007 BUREAU D’AUDIENCES PUBLIQUES SUR L’ENVIRONNEMENT PRESENT: Ms. CLAUDETTE JOURNAULT, Chair Mr. DONALD LABRIE, Commissioner PUBLIC HEARING PROJECT TO ESTABLISH A TECHNICAL LANDFILL SITE AT DANFORD LAKE IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF ALLEYN-et-CAWOOD SECOND PHASE VOLUME 7 Hearing held June 16, 2007, 9 h Salle récréative d’Otter Lake 394 Tessier Otter Lake Morning session, June 16, 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS PRESENTATION OF BRIEFS : KAREN MONTAGUE .......................................................................................................................1 GEORGIA WEST .............................................................................................................................2 GEORGES McCORMICK ................................................................................................................5 JAN McCAMBLEY............................................................................................................................9 PONTIAC ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ARLEEN PROST............................................................................................................................16 LISE LAFRANCE............................................................................................................................18 ZENON CHMIELOWSKI ................................................................................................................20 ROBERT ROWAN..........................................................................................................................29 Morning session, June 16, 2007 MS. CLAUDETTE JOURNAULT, THE CHAIRWOMAN: 5 (Translation) Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the seventh hearing of the public hearings concerning the project to establish a technical landfill site at Danford Lake in the Alleyn- and-Cawood municipality. And I would remind you that you can always register at the back in order to intervene at the end of the present session or if we don't have time this afternoon - if we have time this afternoon, or if you want to register for the right of correction. Now, Karen 10 Montague, please, come forward. MS. KAREN MONTAGUE: (Presentation of brief) 15 THE CHAIRWOMAN: (Translation) Thank you. 20 THE COMMISSIONER: (Translation) Thank you, Madam; you have given us additional information on truck traffic, but in order to compare it with those which exist now, you say you have measured it on 105 and 301. However, that's a total that you give us. Where was this counted? Is it the total of both 25 roads, or you don't seem to distinguish between 105 and 301? MS. KAREN MONTAGUE: It was conducted when I began my run in Danford Lake on the 301, and throughout my run 30 to Highway 105, and then north on Highway 105 to the village of Gracefield. During that period, I was not on the road, on them highways, the whole time. I do have a lot of back roads or secondary roads that I travel on. THE COMMISSIONER: 35 (Translation) Yes, but did you spend more time on the 105 than on the 301 in the course of your trip? MS. KAREN MONTAGUE: 40 No, I would say it would be about the same distance that I travel on both. Mackay Morin Maynard et associés 1 Morning session, June 16, 2007 THE COMMISSIONER: 45 (Translation) Thank you, Madam. THE CHAIRWOMAN: (Translation) Ma'am, could you please tell us, earlier you said you go through the village of 50 Alleyn-and-Cawood - we went through the village of Alleyn-and-Cawood, and we were looking for the sign that said reduce speed. And after a lot of effort, we found it behind a branch somewhere. MS. KAREN MONTAGUE: 55 That's right. THE CHAIRWOMAN: (Translation) So, perhaps the Department of Transport would - it would be interesting to tell 60 the Department of Transport that the signs calling for reduced speed in the village are not quite obvious. And I wonder if the municipality might want to answer about this, but tell us whether they had asked the Department of Transport for better signage regarding speed limits in and around the village. 65 THE COMMISSIONER: (Translation) In fact, the sign that says - gives the reduced speed is clear, but the sign that says at exactly what point you're supposed to reduce speed is hidden behind the bush, so, to complement what Mme. Chairman has just said. 70 MS. KAREN MONTAGUE: Oh, I agree it is. And if the council was doing their job, they do have inspectors and councillors dedicated to doing that to the inspections of the roads. They should have caught that 75 and reported it to the Ministry of Transport or looked after it themselves. THE CHAIRWOMAN: (Translation) Thank you for your testimony, Ma'am; Mme. Georgia West, please. 80 MS. GEORGIA WEST: Mme. Minister, friends, my name is Georgia West -- Mackay Morin Maynard et associés 2 Morning session, June 16, 2007 85 THE CHAIRWOMAN: (Translation) Ma'am, when you are going to give - present your brief, please follow me, and I will sort of give you a hand signal to tell you when to leave a little break, a little few seconds pause, to make it easier on the interpreters, please. 90 MS. GEORGIA WEST: Okay, thank you. (presentation of brief) 95 THE CHAIRWOMAN: (Translation) Your drinkable water, where do you get your drinking water from? MS. GEORGIA WEST: 100 We have a deep well. It's about - just a minute, I can't get the English, just a minute here. I'm not getting any English translation. THE CHAIRWOMAN: 105 (Translation) Can you hear the interpreter now? MS. GEORGIA WEST: 110 Yes, good. THE CHAIRWOMAN: (Translation) Okay. 115 MS. GEORGIA WEST: Thanks. 120 THE CHAIRWOMAN: (Translation) Okay, please go ahead, Ma'am. MS. GEORGIA WEST: 125 I didn't hear the question. Mackay Morin Maynard et associés 3 Morning session, June 16, 2007 THE CHAIRWOMAN: 130 (Translation) Your drinking water, where do you get it from? MS. GEORGIA WEST: It's a deep well. Presently, we're getting it from about a hundred and fifty (150) feet down. 135 We can go to three hundred (300) feet, if we want. THE CHAIRWOMAN: (Translation) Okay, and are you going to take advantage of the lakes around the village? 140 MS. GEORGIA WEST: Yes, we've always gone to several of the lakes to swim, Danford Lake, Knox Lake, Presley Lake, and we use Mount O'Brien wilderness area. 145 THE CHAIRWOMAN: (Translation) Okay, and the Picanoc River, do you use that as well? 150 MS. GEORGIA WEST: Yes, my son canoed on the Picanoc, did several canoe trips down there. That was his first experience in an overnight canoe trip, and it's just - he loved the wilderness. 155 THE CHAIRWOMAN: (Translation) You decided to come and live in this area. You were not a native of the area, if I understand correctly. 160 MS. GEORGIA WEST: I was living in Ottawa before moving here, and we saw an advertisement for a solar home on an alpine meadow and couldn't resist. 165 THE CHAIRWOMAN: (Translation) Thank you for your testimony; Mr. George McCormick. Mackay Morin Maynard et associés 4 Morning session, June 16, 2007 MR. GEORGE McCORMICK: 170 Mme. Chair, Mr. Commissioner, my name is George McCormick. My wife and family have a permanent home on Danford Lake, approximately nine (9) kilometres from the proposed landfill site. My parents have had a cottage on Danford Lake for sixty (60) years and have thoroughly enjoyed the Gatineau countryside. 175 My interest in the project relates to a number of issues: certainly concerns about additional truck traffic, resulting in some safety issues. Another issue is the integrity of the impermeable liner, as we know other landfills have had 180 liners that have experienced leaks, where leachate has found its way into the adjacent drinking water supply and associated waste treatment facilities, which has resulted in deterioration of the water quality of the Picanoc River. My third concern is the plans to cover the garbage to ensure that seagulls do not become 185 prevalent as a result of the landfill. I am concerned about these three (3) issues, but am particularly concerned with the seagulls and the proposed deterrent methods. 190 During the hearings at Mont Ste. Marie, LDC indicated that there were no populations of seagulls in Danford Lake itself, and that the nearest populations were in the Baskatong area of Quebec to the north. Although, today, there may not be large populations of seagulls in and around Danford 195 Lake, there are, however, seagulls which use the lake most days. A recent report concludes that, in 1996, there were six thousand (6,000) pairs of ringed-bill gulls in Ottawa's national capital region. There were only five (5) nesting pairs in 1974, which is thirty (30) years ago. So, it has gone from, you know, from five (5) pairs to six thousand (6,000) in thirty (30) years. 200 A number of seagull populations have been increasing by approximately twelve percent (12%) annually. And according to Transport Canada, from 1993 to 1999, gulls were the most frequently reported species group involved in bird strikes by aircraft in all regions of Canada. There are approximately three (3) aircraft which use Danford Lake regularly, two (2) of which land their aircraft via pontoons, while the other one lands on a nearby airstrip. 205 As we know, seagulls are aggressive and will flock to any area where food of any kind is exposed to the elements such as a dump site. Seagulls are predators to songbirds, frogs, and baby turtles. They also carry diseases and require water in which to live, thus making Danford Lake an ideal location for their population to flourish. Mackay Morin Maynard et associés 5 Morning session, June 16, 2007 210 The noise factor alone of populations of seagulls in Danford Lake would take away the peace and quiet, and potentially replace the peaceful call-of-the-loon sounds with a screech of a thousand (1,000) seagulls. 215 Even, today, beaches on the Ottawa River are closed each summer because of seagulls and their droppings. We are concerned for the smaller lakes such as Neil Lake and others along Highway 301, that the population of seagulls will increase to the point that they will come and roost on these lakes 220 as well, thereby polluting them.